Conversion of heat into mechanical energy.



No. 666,043. Patented Ian. l5, I90l.

H. ZUELLY.

CONVERSION OF HEAT INTO MECHANICAL ENERGY.

(Apphcation filed Sept. 24, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shee t l.

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No. 666,043. Patented Jan. l5, I901 H. ZUELLY. CONVERSION OF HEAT INTOMECHANICAL ENERGY.

I (Application filed Sept. 24, 1906 1N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheef 2.

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UMTED STATES PATENT OFFIcE,

HEINRICH ZOELLY, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

CONVERSION OF HEAT INTO'MECHANICAL ENERGY.

SPECIFIUATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,043, dated January15, 1901.

I Application filed September 24, 1900. aer 30,994. (No model-J To allwhom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HEINRICH ZOELLY, a citizen of the Republic ofSwitzerland, residing at Zurich, Switzerland, have invented new anduseful Improvements in and Relating to the Conversion of Heat intoMechanical Energy, (for which I filed applications for patents inSwitzerland on the 11th of April 1900, No. 23,688; in Germany on the28th of April, 1900, No. 14,256 1/14; in France on the 26th of April,1900, No. 287,940, and in Great Britain on the ath of May, 1900, No.8,295,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for converting heat into mechanicalenergy in which the largest possible percentage of the available heat isutilized.

Apparatus according to this invention comprises a main vapor-turbine orgroup of turbines, which is connected to the former and utilizes theheat still contained in the exhaust-vapor issuing therefrom. For thispurpose the first-mentioned turbine or group of turbines, which issupplied with warm vapor, is connected with a surface condenser, whichis arranged to evaporate a liquid with a low boiling-point by means ofthe heat still contained in the exhaust-vapor of the main turbine orgroup of turbines, the vapors thus obtained being used forsupplying thesecondary turbine or turbines.

Two examples are shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings. a

Figure 1 represents apparatus having a Watertube boiler a, which isconnected through a pipe cl with a main vapor-turbine Z7, from which apipe 6 passes to a surface condenser h, provided with a coiled pipe 10,that communicates on one hand through a pipe g with a secondary turbinea, connected to the first turbine 17, and on the other hand through apipe Z with the coiled pipe n of a second surface condenser m, from theother end of which a pipe f passes to the turbine c.

The mode of operation is the following: The high-pressure steamgenerated in the boiler a delivers up its energy in the main turbine b,from which the exhaust steam passes into the surface condenser 72 andgives up its heat there to the liquid to be evaporated in the coiledpipe in, and the vapor generated by the said evaporation is supplied toturbine to evaporate another liquid having a lower boiling-point thanthe first to supplya third vapor-turbine or group of turbines, &c.

Fig. 2 represents an example in which another turbine r is connected tothe turbines b and c. The vapor for this third turbine is generated in acoiled pipe 9, which is in communication through the pipes o and p withthe coiled pipe 71 of the surface condenser m and the turbine 7",respectively. This coiled pipe g is heated by the hot gases from thefurnace of the boiler a.

A separate vapor-turbine or group of turbines and an arrangement forevaporating, by means of the gases from the furnace of the boiler orboilers supplying the main turbine, aliquid suitable for the temperaturein question may be also used in conjunction with secondary and otherturbines supplied with vapor, as hereinbefore described.

Apparatus according to this invention enable the Widest limits oftemperature to be attained, and consequently the greatest possibleutilization of the available heat. Not only can the lower limit oftemperature be considerably lowered as compared with other methods ofworking, but the upper limit of temperature can be raised much higherthan in such methods of working by theuse of a high pressure anda veryhigh degree of superheating, which is of practical importance in view ofthe fact that in contradistinction to the method of utilizing heat inordinary steamengines, for example, no packing of moving parts isrequired.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. Apparatus for converting heat into mechanical energycomprising two vapor-turbines or groups of vaporturbines of which one, amain vapor-turbine or group of vapor-turbines, using steam, is incommunication with a condenser, in which the exhaust-steam of the saidvapor-turbine is used for evaporating a liquid having a lowboiling-point, so as to supply the other or secondary vapor-turbine orgroup of vapor-turbines.

2. Apparatus for converting heat into mechanical energy comprising twoVapor-turbines or groups of vapor-turbines of which one, a mainvapor-turbine or group of vaporturbines, using steam, is incommunication with a condenser, in which the exhaust-steam of the mainvapor-turbine or group of turbines is used for evaporatingaliquid havinga low boiling-point so as to supplyanother or secondary vapor-turbine orgroup of vaporturbines, the secondary vapor turbine or group of turbinesbeing, like the main vaporturbine or group of turbines, in communicationwith a condenser in which a liquid of still lower boiling-point isevaporating by means of the exhaust-vapor from the secondaryvapor-turbine or group of turbines for the purpose of supplying a thirdvapor turbine or group of turbines. v

3. Apparatus for converting heat into mechanical energy comprising twovapor-turbines or groups of vapor-turbines of which one, a mainvapor-turbine or group of vaporturbines, using steam, is incommunication with a'condenser, in which the exhaust-steam of the mainvapor-turbine or group of turbines is used for evaporating a liquid witha lower boiling-point so as to supply another or secondary vapor-turbineor group of vapor-turbines, in combination with an arrangement forevaporating, by means of the furmace-gases of the boiler installationthat supplies the main vapor-turbine or group of turi bines a liquidsuitable for the temperature

